Gods and Monsters [Sequel to Ethereal] L x Reader • Death Note ✔️

Chapter 15 | sleepless

Usually whenever L couldn't sleep, he'd go find Hypnos and tell him to cast a sleep spell. But since he was now down in the human realm again for this case, he couldn't really do that. Hypnos was all the way up in the highlands probably tucking his son into bed by now.

So there L lay, awake and a million thoughts racing through his head. You somehow managed to get to sleep, and had rested your head on his chest as he fiddled with your hair, listening to you softly breathing.

L was wracked with anxieties. Last time it was the fear of not making the ritual work in time and loosing you. This time, it was loosing his children. They may be adults now, but Mello, Matt and Near were his still his kids. They were his successors he helped raise, they looked up to him as a father figure. And now he was faced with the risk of them dying. Sure, he'd gotten Zagreus to give them a death defiance boon, but it only works once. If that one time gets used, they're prone to dying on this case. Unlike Watari who had many lives before and who's soul retired to Asphodel, the kids had much younger souls. If they died, they'd end up reincarnating and loose all memories of ever knowing you and L. They'd no longer be Mello, Matt and Near, but whatever name they're blessed with next.

L knew this would happen eventually, and he was prepared to face it when they were older. But now? They were still so young, he couldn't see them go this young.

And this Kira clearly wanted to prove himself to the original, he wanted to show that he worshipped the original like no other and would do anything to prove it. He knew that this Kira would absolutely try and kill anyone that got in his way. Including Mello, Matt and Near.

Over the past few weeks since getting to Osaka, all the focus had been on setting up a taskforce headquarters. And thanks to the fortune that was the L title, that was an easy task. It'd just take time time to set up. He'd bought out a decently sized office building and everyone had started to set it up so it could be lived in and worked from. Misa and Zephyr were kind enough to help out, and let you all stay with them while things got set up. They even wanted to work on the case, which at first L was hesitant about. But after remembering they too were gods and immune to the death note, he deemed them invaluable help. Especially since at one point Misa HAD a death note and contact with the original Kira. She knew the inside details on everything death note related.

And the closer the HQ got to being finished, the moe and more L was thinking about the risks in his case. No amount of security cameras could ease his nerves.

He'd never been this anxious about a case before, and he knew why. Back when he was just a lonely mortal working by himself, he had nothing to loose. Now? He had everything to loose. His kids, his friends, you. Sure you couldn't die, but you could be hurt. You could be taken and tortured, you could be hunted. It made his heart beat with anxiety. It didn't help that he'd just had to deal with loosing his fathers mortal life too, it was like stress on top of stress.

He wanted to spend his life as a kami in peace, tranquility and helping his devotees. Not chasing another Kira, risking everything he loved and reliving trauma.

He sighed, trying to push the thoughts away and keep his eyes closed to drift to sleep, trying to keep his body snuggled to yours to ground himself in your sacred arms. But nothing seemed to be working. Giving up on sleeping, he carefully and silently got up so he wouldn't wake you and slipped on his slippers. Silently he left the room, walking down the hall of the half-finished new taskforce HQ. Out of dad instincts, he stopped at each of his successors doors and peeked inside to make sure they were all ok.

Sure enough, they all slept soundly. All three of them blissfully unaware just how much danger they were in. They were definitely aware they were in danger, it was how much they just didn't comprehend yet.

L stepped onto the balcony, looking down at the city below as he did so many times on the original Kira case. High up enough no one would notice his wings, the chilly night air ruffled his feathers. He looked up at the stars, the cover of Nyx blanketing over the mortals and covering them in darkness. Up there in another realm all his fellow kami would be watching him, making sure he and his family were ok.

"L, it's cold what are you doing awake?"

He had a feeling you'd wake up. Even though he always tried not to wake you, you somehow always just knew when he'd left your side in the middle of the night.

"Can't sleep" he replied.

"Call Hypnos" you replied.

"Don't want to bother him with coming all the way down here just to cast a spell on me"

You wrapped your arms around him from behind, sleepily resting your head on his shoulder.

"You're stressed" you said.

"I know, I hate it" he replied.

"I wish I could help, now you're a deity my anti stress powers can only do so much for you"

Back in the original case, you could ease his nerves with a simple spell. But he knew that spell now, and no doubt he'd already used it only for it to not work as well given the circumstances.

"Just you being here is enough to ease some of the stress" he replied, turning to face you.

He wrapped his arms around you, the two of you standing under the stars in a warm embrace. Silent, just enjoying each other's comfort for a moment.

"I don't want them to be hurt, I don't want you to be hurt" he sighed.

"I'm not getting hurt this time. Already lost one limb not having another be shot off thank you very much" you replied.

"I know you can hold your own, but you're my soulmate, it's hard not to be worried about you"

"I know, I worry about you even though I know you can hold your own"

Suppose that was just the catch with being married soulmates. You always worry for each other, because your love is just that strong.

"It's the kids I'm worried about the most... I know they're adults now but I'm not gonna stop calling them kids. They're my kids, I can't have them hurt, but we can't solve this without them" L said.

"You know I'd fight tooth and nail for them, anyone who wants to hurt them has to go through me, and you of course" you replied.

"Even with all the protection they have... I guess it's just fathers worry"

"That's valid..."

You gave him a tired smile, and a gentle kiss on the lips.

"I love you, you know that? And they love you too, as the best and only dad they'll ever have" you assured.

"I love you too, I love them more than anything. I just wish there was more I could do to keep them same. I know they'll die one day... as much as I don't want them to. But I can't stand the thought it could be so young, that this Kira could use them to hurt me and gain control" he replied.

"L, I promise you, nothing will happen to them. Your feelings are valid, but I promise you that those kids are not going to get a single scratch on them as long as I'm here to protect them"

L gave you a smile, the fact you loved them as much as he did only made him love you more.

"Aph taught you parental love well" he said.

"A good love deity always learns from the best" you replied.

L could take comfort in the fact that you were always there to ease his anxieties. That you'd protect both him and his successors. But he had a bad feeling he just couldn't shake, and he'd be keeping a close eye on it, that's for sure.